Life can get so busy. Now and again, you have to give yourself a break and take time away from your regular nine to five.
Hobbies are a great way to help you unwind and relax, or just fill up those days when you have extra hours on your hands.
Involving animals in our hobbies is a great way to bond with them. For animal lovers, there are a variety of pursuits you can enjoy in your spare time.
Ranging from high adrenaline activities to calm and relaxing options. Let’s take a look at some animal hobbies that you’re sure to love.
11.The safari experience
This one tops the list of must-do activities for the animal-lover. It may require a pretty penny, proper planning, and a couple of days off.
There are a few things as exhilarating as watching wild animals in their natural habitat.
If you are lucky, you might experience some of the rare moments that nature has to offer (like lions hunting down and catching prey or a zebra giving birth).
Although safaris are typical in Africa, you can get the same experience in some countries like India and Chile.
It’ll give you first-hand experience of nature and everything around it. Throw in some camping and sightseeing while you’re at it, and you’ll have yourself a trip to remember.
10.Equestrian
Most of us admire the regal elegance of horses. Why not take up horse riding? While their height may be intimidating, trained horses are generally harmless.
You can choose to take a casual strut, a gallop in the woods, or possibly take part in show jumping.
You’ll need a bit of practice and patience to get to ride like a professional, of course, but all in good time, you’ll be enjoying horseback riding.
Apart from riding horses, you can opt to take care of the horses too. You’ll love the feeling of grooming or feeding the horses.
Can’t afford to buy a horse? Try volunteering to take care of horses – same feeling, maybe even nobler.
9. Apiary
You are probably wondering what this is, right? It’s the buzzy world of beekeeping.
If you are not one to shy away from a little challenge, this activity is right up your alley.
With enough yard space, you can build hives and spend your fulfilling afternoons harvesting honey.
Plus, you get to wear those fancy white suits (you could actually pass for a scientist- a scary-looking one, though)
8. Scuba diving
Scuba diving is the perfect activity for thrillseekers who aren’t afraid to get wet.
Who knows, you might come across a school of sharks, dolphins, octopuses, and seahorses.
With thousands, if not millions of creatures in the deep blue seas, every experience is guaranteed to bring something new to the table.
Scuba diving can be a pricey hobby to take up, but you can reduce your costs by renting equipment while gradually buying your own.
7. Fishkeeping
Another ideal hobby for water lovers but on the more relaxed end is having a saltwater or freshwater aquarium.
From the comfort of your home, you can enjoy the colorful marine life in a glass box, the closest thing to the actual ocean.
Another exciting element to this hobby is that you get to create your marine habitat piece by piece and watch it develop and thrive as the marine life co-exists in this ecosystem.
While setting up an aquarium can be a bit costly, you can look for second-hand equipment.
Remember to get all the information you need to get you started.
6. Wildlife photography
Experience the magic of nature and be at one with the earth through the lens.
This hobby can accommodate different budgets, from taking pictures of squirrels from a park bench to traveling to wildlife parks far and wide.
Of course, you will have to invest in good quality photography equipment, but then again, even your smartphone can do a pretty decent job.
You can choose to keep the photographs for your personal gallery or even get a following from sharing them on various social media platforms.
Learn how to edit photos, and your hobby can go to a whole new level. You might even make a few bucks out of selling your pictures on the internet.
5. Animal yoga
For the animal-loving fitness enthusiast, this can prove to be your ideal relaxing activity.
Animal yoga can be a fun way to spend time with your favorite pet or try out the recent trends that involve yoga with goats or alpacas.
Animal yoga is unmistakably a fun and unique experience that helps keep you and your pet fit.
4. Volunteering with animals
Hobbies are usually activities we do for our own benefit. When we act for others’ good, sometimes it comes around to benefit us in one way or another.
Volunteering at animal shelters is one such hobby where you give something but end up gaining more from the fulfillment you get out of it.
The activities involved range from cleaning and caring for the animals and just downright fun and games when playing with them.
Volunteering with animal rescue teams is another way to give back to society while personally enjoying the outcome.
You can participate in preparing for the arrival of the rescued animals, assisting with transportation, adoption, and even rehabilitation.
3. Keeping animals
This hobby can be a lot of work but also rewarding.
You can decide to keep a couple of chickens that roam freely in your yard that you feed well with all sorts of natural goodies or increase your farm ( or backyard) project to goats, sheep, cows, and pigs.
One benefit of keeping animals is that you’ll get lots of by-products like eggs or milk. The ideal hobby for the frugal! Plus, you’ll make lots of new animal friends along the way.
If you don’t have much space, don’t worry. A small backyard coop is perfect for keeping cute bantam chickens.
2. Hunting
Now, this definitely tops the list for the marksman and adventure enthusiast.
Many legal hunts are organized annually across the globe for different reasons, the most common being population control.
Hunting is not for the fainthearted and will require a reasonable amount of skill, travel finances, and proper equipment.
There is something available for every hunter, from land hunts for antelopes, buffalos or lions, to sea hunts for whales.
1. Geocaching
If adventure is what you’re looking for in a hobby, then look no further than geocaching.
This fairly new and fun phenomenon is like the world’s biggest outdoor treasure hunt.
All you need to do is register on the geocaching website, turn on your Global Positioning System (GPS) and begin the search.
There are various animal challenges on offer for animal lovers where your search will involve something to do with animals or actual animals.
Geocaching is a fun and exciting way to enjoy the great outdoors and also what you love, animals!
To conclude
So, there you have it, some wonderful hobbies you can try. There is a hobby for every animal lover.
Nothing beats some relaxation and fun, especially when you’re dealing with animals.
Enjoy exploring the diverse activities that will leave you relaxed, fulfilled, and content.
Remember, don’t be cruel to animals; research more about each hobby to find out what it entails and all the regulations first before you dive headfirst.
